Vaasavi Unnava is a second-year PhD student at the Ohio State University. She specializes in macroeconomics and political economy, with special interests in institutional frictions and their influence on macroeconomic aggregates. Before attending Ohio State, she received her MS in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University, where she concurrently participated in the Research in Color Program. She credits the program with having a great influence on her research confidence as well as helping her explore her interests and begin the work of research. She continues to work to improve DEI outcomes within her department, and hopes to keep contributing to the field through both research and service in the coming years. You can read more about her at her website: https://www.vaasavi.com.